Important Information

Membership of VAP UK.

All volunteers must become a member of VAP. We are not a travel agency, sending clients. By being members you become one of the owners of the organisation. Members will receive regular mailings which detail international activities available to VAP members thanks to European funding. Members have the right to apply to any activities and the life of VAP and YAP. Each member has one vote and the right to election to the management committee of VAP UK and the international activities of YAP International.

The annual membership fee is now incorporated into the placement fees which are given further down the page. For people who wish to join without going on a project the fee is £25.00 for people earning a wage and £10.00 for the unwaged. This fee helps pays for some of the essential administrative running costs of the organisation.

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Volunteering in the UK

If you are interested in volunteering in the UK you can participate on our international workcamps in the UK. Please apply in the same way as for an overseas workcamp. For further opportunities of workcamps in the UK please visit the websites of our colleagues by using the Links section of this website.

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Volunteering Overseas

Volunteering overseas can be easily divided into three categories; Long Term, Medium Term and Short Term volunteering.

Long Term programmes last for over one year and require skilled professionals working alone with hosting institutions. These are government funded programmes, such as VSO. 'Volunteers' in such schemes are paid a salary. VAP does not work with this type of volunteering. For more information on all possibilities please visit the website of the National Council of Volunteering

Medium Term programmes last for a month to a year. They often need certain skills and volunteers work generally alone in a hosting organisation, with a living allowance.

Short Term programmes last up to a month and allow people to work under supervision in group projects called 'workcamps'. There are no professional qualifications required of volunteers.

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How does the System Work?

The projects that you will find listed on this website originate with, and will be controlled by the local community that has recognised a specific public need and approached our national partner organisation in their country.

Once the local projects have presented their projects to the national 'hosting organisation', and they are accepted as appropriate, each partner organisation publishes a national programme and invite their partners to send volunteers. These programmes are then published by the 'sending organisation' in directories like these, which are distributed to their members in their own country. The individual members then apply to the national sending organisation and the sending organisation requests places from the hosting organisation.

The final decision is taken by the hosting organisation. They confirm to the sending organisation which tell the volunteer and additional information is sent and some special training events are organised. Volunteers may also receive a course of training on arrival.

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What is a Workcamp?

The workcamp method was invented in 1920 after the First World War to bring together soldiers from previously opposing armies to carry out post war reconstruction work. In the next 25 there was a lot of experimentation with disaster relief, social-environmental, and third world developmental projects, with different numbers of people over different periods of time, until the modern workcamp formula was finally perfected.

By the 1940¹s the workcamp movement had grown so much that it achieved UN recognition with the creation of the Co-ordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS) in 1948. Since the 1930¹s the workcamp movement has steadily grown to a global scale adapting to new aims for sustainable development, national independence, racial equality and ecological protection. The global workcamp movement is now active in over 90 countries.

Workcamps typically bring together a temporary community of 10-20 international volunteers from different backgrounds to provide services to local community projects. The volunteers carry out unskilled tasks that would not otherwise be possible without paid labour. (The work of the project should not replace work that would otherwise be undertaken by paid workers, or utilise volunteers as a form of cheap labour.) The work varies from construction work on public buildings, nature conservation work, renovation of historical monuments, archeological work and social projects involving children, families, the elderly, refugees and people with special needs... The practical work is half the main objective. It is also seen as a tool and mechanism to promote better intercultural understanding between the participants and with the local community.

Participants on workcamps, are not tourists, nor are they development workers. They can expect to give around 30-35 hours unskilled work a week, and become closely involved with the local community who will provide the expertise. Naturally, volunteers only need to work as hard as they are able. However, they must remember that many people have contributed a great deal of time and effort to find money and make the project possible. Each workcamp is managed by the local community organisation but the volunteers are in charge of their own domestic planning.

Participation in a workcamp makes it possible to experience different areas of countries and cultures not usually accessible to foreigners. It is a unique opportunity for people of different nationalities, ages, abilities, social, cultural and religious backgrounds to live, work, and co-operate together. A temporary democratic international community is established for the period of the project and this is itself a fascinating experience.

There are usually some activities outside the work programme such as visits to local sites of interest, other projects, homestays with local families, discussions on particular topics, etc. The volunteers themselves normally choose the activities.

On most projects, some of the volunteers are nationals of the host country. On almost all projects there will be one or more responsible people acting as leaders or co-ordinators and technical leaders for the work. They live and work with the volunteers and normally are volunteers themselves. These leaders are chosen and trained by the hosting organisations. They depend on the full participation of each volunteer, so it is the responsibility of the whole group to ensure the project¹s success. Tolerance of differences, a willingness to share, a sense of humour and a constructive approach to solving interpersonal problems are essential qualities.

We divide the workcamps into three types, Teenager projects, the Standard Programme, and the North South Programme.

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Teenage Projects

Normally volunteers must be 18 years old before the start of the workcamp. This is because of the legal problems that relate to the protection and supervision of adolescents who are still technically minors.

However there are some projects for teenagers aged 15 to 17 years in France and Lithuania in which extra staff and resources are available and special programmes created to fit inside national law on working with minors. Please note that these places are popular and go very quickly. There are always additional fees for the supervision costs. The children’s parent or guardian must sign the Volunteer Exchange Form.

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Standard Programme

The Standard Programme involves those exchanges that evolved out of the post war reconstruction projects in post 1945 Europe. These exchanges between the European, North American and Japanese organisations are the most highly developed and popular.

The workcamps of the Standard Programme are based on the principle of reciprocal volunteer exchanges. In this case the hosting organisation and the local projects bear all the costs of hosting the volunteers.

Volunteers pay a placement fee to the sending organisation to cover their administrative costs, food and accommodation during the project, and some other programme costs. They also pay their travel costs and personal expenses. There are very occasionally additional fees on special projects.

As a rule projects are filled on a quota basis per country. Each hosting organisation places equal a balance of sexes as possible and as wide a range of nationalities as possible on each of its projects. Therefore, the chance of being placed on your first choice of project will depend on when you apply and the number of remaining vacancies. This is why we ask you to be flexible with your application, to make as many choices as possible and not to be disappointed if we have to look for an alternative.

We encourage volunteers to go alone, to maximise the experience and to allow the group life to develop easily without subgroups forming. However we do welcome placing family and friends on the same camp, especially those with large groups. If two or more people travel together they must take great care to integrate into the group.

The essential qualification for participation is a positive attitude. Sometimes there are language and experience requirements and these are stated in the project description.

Age limits vary. In general workcamps are open to all people over 18. The average age of volunteers is usually between 18 and 27. Older volunteers must be happy to live with a generally younger group. There are some upper-age restrictions where the hosting organisation or particular projects are funded by the national youth ministry.

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North-South Programme

Among our most exciting, challenging and fulfilling projects are those which take place in developing countries. In our work we use the expressions "North" and "South". The North represents the rich societies of Eurasia, North America and Australasia. The South represents Africa, Asia, Latin America (with the exception of Japan and South Korea); the so-called 'less developed countries' which have suffered political, economic and cultural domination by the countries of the North in the last two centuries.

Since the 1960's VAP and other CCIVS members have been developing the 'North-South Programme' to exchange increasing numbers of people between the regions and also developing reverse South-North and local South-South exchanges. In VAP UK we have a specialist knowledge of North-South issues.

North-South projects are generally in rural areas where the infrastructure is basic and health risks are high. These projects are recommended for volunteers who have already experienced a workcamp in the North. This reduces the double-culture shock of living in a workcamp environment and classic culture shock of adaptation to a new climate and environment.

Unlike the Standard Exchange these workcamps will normally be larger with a number of international volunteers from the 'North' and a larger number of national volunteers from other parts of the country. Project leaders are unlikely to have recieved leader training and one can expect greater organisational problems which can delay or reduce the effectiveness of the potential workforce. However the presence of the volunteers is often more important than their labour, the example of solidarity, the chance for people from opposite ends of global society to learn about each other. Therefore we emphasize the importance of interpersonal contact and intercultural exchange over work results.

The projects of the North-South programme are among the most expensive projects we offer. A budget up to £1,000 needs to be considered. Travel costs make up the majority of the costs and there are normally visa and vaccination costs and additional medical and other equipment. All the partners in the North-South programme charge a 'hosting fee' for your costs on the project and their organisational running costs. This is normally $150-$200, in addition to the placement fee you pay to us. Our partners in the South do not receive any local/national financial support and do not receive outgoing volunteer fees as visa restrictions make sending their volunteers almost impossible.

All volunteers in the programme must attend a North-South Training Weekend prior to departure unless they can convince us that they have sufficient workcamp or related and travel experience. We also ask for a motivation letter from each volunteer.

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Training

Training and preparation is provided for Medium Term Volunteers and for workcamps in special destinations. Sometimes this is provided by the hosting organisation, sometimes by us, and sometimes both.

Training is compulsory for countries in the North-South Programme. This is to ensure that you have some psychological and practical preparation for culture shock and other difficulties, and the particular differences of projects in these countries. The training includes more detail about the workcamp movement and North-South programme, development education, fears and expectations, cross cultural awareness, health and safety and travel advice, as well as details about your particular partner and country. Volunteers for this programme should have previous workcamp or other relevant experience, and need to have a high level of motivation. Other training events are available if desired for other destinations. If you feel experienced enough not to need this, please telephone the office so we can discuss if you fit our exemption criteria.

The VAP UK North-South Training will take place from Friday 13th - Sunday 15th June 2008 in Brantham, Ipswich. Please make sure you are free on these dates before you apply. If you cannot make these dates you can apply through us to participate in the North-South training of our British counterparts, UNA Exchange, based in Cardiff and Concordia based in Brighton. We generally work with the same partners and have designed our training programmes to have the same content.

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Preparation/Travel Documents

The volunteer is responsible for all travel costs to and from the project. It is important to check the price of travel and/or reserve tickets before applying. Placement fees will not be refunded if the volunteer cannot obtain their travel documents after they have been confirmed. Once you have heard from us that you are confirmed on your choice of project you should confirm/buy any needed travel tickets.

It is each volunteer's responsibility to organise all travel arrangements themselves with a travel agent. We recommend the charity North-South Travel which arranges flights worldwide and gives its profits to local development programmes in the South. They have always provided an excellent service for us. Their telephone number is 01245 608 291.

Final details of a project, including arrival information, are sent by the hosting organisation to the sending organisation and then to the volunteers with or after their confirmation. Volunteers will need to find their own way to most projects following the instructions provided.

You are strongly advised to take out full travel insurance when you book your travel. VAP UK is not liable for any problems arising from accidents, illness, theft, loss of personal items or cancellation/delay of travel or for any costs incurred if the project dates are altered or cancelled, although we and the hosting organisation will try our best to find you an alternative project in the same region and time period. If an alternative project can not be agreed we will refund the placement fee.

Hosting organisations in most Northern countries provide insurance for accident, sickness, and third party liability, on the project. However, these policies do not cover you outside the project programme or in terms of theft or travel delay or lost luggage. If you are attending a project within the European Union, you should obtain an European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This will allow you to a variable part refund on medical treatment. Click Here for more information on the EHIC. Volunteers heading ‘South’ or to some eastern countries need complete travel/health insurance. General travel insurance policies are available from your travel agent. This should include costs of repatriation in an emergency and third party insurance.

Make sure your tetanus vaccination is up to date for all destinations. It is obligatory to ensure you are vaccinated for all life threatening illnesses prevalent in the country of destination or you could be refused entry. Up to date advice will be provided for some destinations. Use the Volunteer Exchange Form to tell us of any special health condition that we should be aware of.

Volunteers must ensure their passport/visa is valid for the duration of the trip and the passport should be valid at least for a further six months after the anticipated date of return home. All the necessary visas should be obtained before leaving (getting them en-route can be a nightmare and more expensive). Please note that visa requirements change frequently.

You should apply for a Tourist Visa and not a Work Visa as work visas are for paid jobs. Even passing through a country may require a ‘transit visa’ and possibly ‘multiple-entry’ visas. Approach the Embassy or Consulate of your chosen country/ies of destination for information regarding passport and visa requirements as soon as the project is confirmed.

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On the Project

On arriving in the hosting country, volunteers become the responsibility of the hosting organisation. You must make contact with the hosting organisation and work within their regulations. You will sometimes meet at the national office, but usually make your own way to the project using travel instructions. Problems with the workcamp that can not be solved in the workcamp or by the local community must be referred to the national hosting organisation.

Food and accommodation for the duration of the project are generally provided by the local project/community (unless it is stated otherwise in the project description). As a group, volunteers are usually self-catering and sufficient money is provided for you to buy and cook together on a rota system. (Remember to bring with you some traditional recipes that don¹t require particularly special ingredients).

Accommodation varies according to the project, ranging from very basic (tents) to quite comfortable (hotels) and occasional home-stays with families, but generally tend to be in public buildings; schools/community centres, with basic cooking and showering facilities and camping mattresses. Please note that you will always need one essential item; A SLEEPING BAG. Sometimes volunteers are asked to bring a carry-mat to sleep on. Do not take items of personal value as thefts from public spaces are easy. (Tickets and valuables can usually be safely locked away). Clothing should be appropriate to the work with one smart outfit for the occasional local ceremony and cultural activities.

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After the Project

All participants should return a written evaluation to VAP UK immediately on their return. This is important as it helps us deal with any problems that arose on your project and improves our knowledge about our international partners and their projects. Volunteer reports can help us to decide to discontinue working with partners that fail to meet our standards and philosophy. Bad workcamps are very rare, and even these are often worth the adventure!

We very much hope that you will continue being involved in the work of VAP UK or other peace/development/voluntary organisations following your return. It is immensely rewarding to have an outlet for your energy and enthusiasm and sometimes therapeutic to have like-minded people to share your experiences.

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How To Use The Database

If you know someone who wants information on a particular partner programme and it is not possible for them to access the website, please contact the office and we can post you the relevant programme. We no longer produce a printed directory.

When you are ready to make an application complete and sign the application form, which we call the Volunteer Exchange Form and send it with the appropriate cheque covering your fees.

The website has a database of all the workcamps we have been sent by our partners. In addition to being able to see our programme according to each country you will also be able to choose lists of camps by dates and type of work. In the descriptions of the projects you will find the full detailed information on each project exactly as it is sent to us by the partner organisation. The descriptive text usually gives detail of the location, work involved, accommodation, leisure programme and any special requirements such as dietary restrictions or things to bring.

As the year goes on please look at the website for new programmes and projects and information on available places and cancellations.

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Work Codes

We and our partners have agreed a system of classification of work into four letter codes. These are used for this directory and the website.

AGRI
Agriculture/Farmwork
ARCH
Archaeology
ARTS
Arts projects
CONS
Construction/Building
CULT
Cultural Projects
DISA
Work with Disabled
EDU
Educational
ELD
Work with the elderly
ENVI
Environmental Work
GARD
Gardening
HIST
Historic
KIDS
Work with children
MENT
Work with Mentally Disabled
PEACE
Peace study camps
PHYS
Work with Physically Disabled
RENO
Renovation
SOCI
Social work
STUDY
Study/discussion workcamps
TEEN
Projects with/for teenagers

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Workcamp Placement Fees

All volunteers must pay a placement fee. This fee is main income of VAP UK. It is needed to pay all our costs for running our programme. (Wages, communications, travel to meetings, conferences, office running costs.)

The fee for a project in the standard programme is £150. This placement fee includes your membership of VAP UK and will pay for your food, accommodation and the social programme for the duration of the workcamp. If there is an additional fee to pay this will be indicated in the project description. These occur when there are special projects as with teenagers or study programmes which cannot be funded locally or nationally.

Volunteers going to countries in the North/South Programme will need to pay a fee of £180. This placement fee includes your membership of VAP UK, a place on a North/South Training Course including food, accommodation and materials. The fee does not include travel costs to/from the North-South Training Event.

Volunteers to the South will also need to pay a Hosting Fee as these organisations do not receive any other or insufficient other income. This fee is for your food, accommodation and other hosting costs, and for the essential annual costs of the hosting organisation. This fee is paid to the hosting organisation on arrival in cash in a hard currency unless otherwise stated. Northern volunteers in the South are also expected to support the travel and some other costs of national volunteers.

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How to make an application

To make an application complete one application form for each project you want to do. So if you want to participate in one workcamp just send one completed application form.

If you want to apply for a second or third workcamp etc. then send one application form for each project. (You can photocopy the blank original, print from the website or contact the office for extra copies.) Please leave a break of at least a few days between each project you plan to do. Otherwise the experience can be psychologically and physically exhausting.

Please complete all parts of the application form and give as many choices as possible in section 7 in case we are unable to place you on your first choice. For North-South projects please include a one sided ‘motivation letter’ to say why you want to do it and what relevant experiences you have.

E-mail or Post us the application as soon as possible as the faster we get the application the more chance we can obtain your first choice. Include with the application one cheque, or PayPal (also applies to debit and credit cards) payment, for each placement fee of £150 for the Standard Programme or £180 for the North-South Programme. If you apply for more than one North-South project the fee for second and subsequent projects is £150 for each project.

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CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

Please read this very carefully as it will act as your contract.

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Updated 14th April 2008